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Stockton Teen Hiding In Bathroom Shower Scares Off Burglar

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STOCKTON (CBS13) – A Stockton teenager spooked an alleged burglar by hiding out in the shower.

It was 10 minutes of terror for 13-year-old Sophie Castaneda. Not only was she shocked when the burglar barged through the bathroom door, but so was he.

“They started getting girly, doing the girly knock, and then they started ringing the doorbell, keeping it on for a second,” she said.

Sophie was just getting ready for school Tuesday morning when someone wouldn’t stop knocking on the door.

“I heard glass breaking,” Sophie said.

Someone broke the family room window, so Sophie bolted to the bathroom.

“I was scared and I was in the shower hiding, and then the people came to the door and they tried to open the door. But I locked it, and at that point I was laying down in the bathtub, shaking, like, a lot,” said Sophie.

The burglar didn’t give up trying to get in.

“I was thinking that I was going to die,” said Sophie. “I was thinking what my mom would be thinking if she found me dead in the bathtub.”

Once the bad guy got into the bathroom, he stood there staring at her.

“[He] would not stop staring in my eyes; just looked in my eyes,” said Sophie.

Sophie says the man stood there for about five seconds, and then left and escaped out the back door. That’s when she called 911 and her mother.

“When I saw, this is when my heart just dropped,” mother Nikki Castaneda said. “That’s when I just had to hug Sophie, because, just give her the biggest of hugs, because this is a violent act.”

It’s a violent act that’s left Sophie terrified in her own home. And even though the emotions are still raw, Sophie’s bravery is nothing short of extraordinary.

In the most frightening situation of her life, the 13-year-old is handling it better than many adults would have.

“I have told her over and over how proud I am,” said Nikki. “She’s amazing.”

Sophie hopes that her story inspires other teens to do the same thing if they are ever in a similar situation.

The suspect is still on the run, and this is the second time in three months the family’s home has been burglarized.